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Prep Football: Kicking Things Off

The scene was set with green grass, blue skies, water bottles and whistles.

The first official day of high school football kicked off across the Land of Lincoln Monday and the message from local head coaches like Harrisburg's Al Way and Eldorado's Brandon Hampton remained the same. It wasn't so much about the first day of practice, as much as it was, what the two coaches were able to accomplish in the summer.

"All summer long we talked about our identity and what kind of football team we were going to be, how they were going to work together, how they were going to go about their business and how close they were going to be," Hampton said. "I feel like we made some real strides and our message these next two weeks is attention to detail. We have to get good at doing the little things well. I think if we do the things, the small things really well, it'll ultimately get us to where we want to be."

With Monday temperatures in the low to mid 80's, Way felt that could prove to be beneficial for getting his team ready when the season kicks off later this month.

"Our main focus is conditioning," he said. "The kids that played last year understand how tough that first game is and how tired you get with the heat and humidity. Right now, we are trying to get them in shape. We had a good summer, we had good attendance and we got a lot done over the summer and I think our depth is better, which is going to help us, especially that first game. Our guys just have to be smart enough to know that we open up with Mt. Carmel and Du Quoin and that is potentially two losses. So, we have to get ready and get ready in a hurry."

Both Harrisburg and Eldorado open their season at home on August 26th this year. The Bulldogs will host Mt. Carmel at Taylor Field, while the Eagles welcome Vienna-Goreville at Boz Adams Field. Kickoff time for both games is 7 p.m.

Michael Dann covers prep and college sports for the Harrisburg Daily Register and the Eldorado Daily Journal. Follow him on Twitter: @spydieshooter.